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LG unveils flagship V20 with Android Nougat and removable battery

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You really have to hand it to LG for trying something different each time it releases a new flagship. Last year’s V10 delivered a rugged build with a pair of front-facing cameras and secondary LCD screen, while the more recent G5 introduced the world to partial modularity through its add-on Friends. Topping their innovations was going to be a challenge, but LG went ahead and added a second entry to the V-series with the V20.

There’s a lot to talk about with the V20, but going straight to the construction seems to be the obvious choice. The build is top-notch with a lightweight, shock-resistant aluminum body; however, a somewhat surprising omission is the partial modularity found in the G5. Rumors suggested compatibility with the same add-ons the G5 has. Instead, you can only press a button on the side to eject the back plate and swap the battery. You can barely call it innovative or modular, but considering the lack of user-replaceable batteries in flagship phones, this is something a lot of people will appreciate.

LG V20 front

Another highlight is the inclusion of Android 7.0 Nougat as soon as you turn on the V20. Google’s Nexus devices had the privilege of being the first to have the latest Android version out of the box in recent years, so it’s a big deal for LG to earn the recognition. For consumers, this means you won’t have to wait in line to receive Android’s most complete OS to date, like on other handsets stuck on 6.0 Marshmallow or even 5.0 Lollipop. V20 users will probably also be ahead of the pack once the next Android flavor rolls out.

The rest of the signature features are carryovers from the two older flagships, including the same dual camera setup as the G5 (a 16-megapixel sensor with optical image stabilization combined with a wide-angle 8-megapixel shooter) and the V10’s secondary LCD screen (now at 2.2 inches) found above the main display, which is a 5.7-inch Quad HD panel. What’s extra special about the V20 is the 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC capabilities, to the delight of audiophiles everywhere. LG claims it can reduce up to 50 percent of ambient noise levels, on top of producing cleaner and crisper sounds than ordinary smartphones. Plus, you’ll be able to fit in lots of music with the 64GB of internal storage that’s expandable using a microSD card.

LG V20 Cover

It’s a no-brainer that the V20 is filled to the brim with the very best internals, but let’s list the rest of them down anyway. There’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset to effortlessly process every task, 4GB of RAM to hold all the active apps together, and a 3,200mAh battery that can be recharged swiftly through Quick Charge 3.0. The usual fingerprint scanner is once again found at the back, right on top of the power button and below the rear camera.

The LG V20 will be available in the colors titan, pink, and silver. We’ll update this page once we find out the price and availability.

LG V20 back

[irp posts=”7555″ name=”LG V20 review”]

News

Samsung releases teaser with Spider-Man: Brand New Day Easter eggs

Spot also teases upcoming Galaxy foldable devices

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Samsung has just premiered a new spot that showcases clips directly from Spider-Man: Brand New Dayjust a few weeks before the movie hits cinemas later this month.

The clip showcases Spider-Man as he fights crime and puts his phone through the wear and tear of superhero life.

In the spot, the Fabricator creates a number of devices for Spider-Man built to stand up to the pace and unpredictability of life behind the mask. This includes what clearly looks like a Galaxy Z Flip phone.

This provides a behind the scenes look into how Peter Parker ultimately landed on a Samsung phone — as fans speculated from the first trailer.

Meanwhile, Ned can also be seen using the Spidey Tracker to try and catch Spider-Man throughout the city on his Samsung phone.

The campaign pretty much formalizes Jacob Batalon — who plays Ned Leeds — as Samsung’s Team Galaxy’s newest ambassador.

The clip ends with the text “A brand new shape for a Brand New Day”, which is also a callback to what the brand has been teasing regarding the future of its Galaxy foldable devices.

Samsung to release latest devices at Galaxy Unpacked

Next week, Samsung is set to launch its latest devices at Galaxy Unpacked 2026.

Ahead of the launch, customers who wish to reserve as early as now can get a US$ 30 credit during pre-order, for a total of up to US$ 1,230 in savings.

Customers can also enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win one of 10 US$ 500 Samsung.com gift cards towards their purchase.

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Apps

iOS 27 public beta gives us our first taste of Siri AI

You can access the beta for free.

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Normally, public betas come and go with nary a peep from anyone but dedicated fans and testers. After all, why care about a beta when the final release is likely just around the corner? This one, however, is special. Today, Apple launched the iOS 27 public beta, and it’s our first taste of the redesigned Siri AI.

Recently, WWDC 2026 unveiled Apple’s latest attempts at entering the AI segment. Whereas previous iterations to incorporate AI failed to make an impact, Siri AI promises to provide users with helpful feedback that’s actually helpful.

Now, in the public beta for iOS 27, users all over can finally access the new assistant. To get to the beta, you need to be a part of the beta program, which you can easily sign up for on beta.apple.com. Once signed up, you can get the update from Software Update in Settings. You’ll see options for a developer beta and a public beta. Choose iOS 27 Public Beta.

At face value, Siri AI offers much of what you’d get from a traditional AI-powered assistant. However, it does slightly differ because it integrates the entire phone. The assistant contextualizes your information (including emails, messages, and photos) to give you the most accurate feedback that you might need.

If that’s not enough, Siri AI also has its own chatbot app. If you’re more used to ChatGPT, the assistant should give you that bit of familiarity.

Now, if you don’t want to go for a beta, Apple is expected to launch iOS 27 in its final form sometime in September.

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Gaming

Most of the world’s PlayStations will be officially useless by 2028

PlayStation’s disastrous no-disc policy is now a lot worse than you thought.

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PlayStation 5 DualSense

Last week, we lamented the loss of the PlayStation disc. As we described, the loss isn’t just a major blow to nostalgia for aging gamers, but it also puts a huge question mark on game ownership. Well, there’s another wrinkle that the world is slowly realizing. By deleting physical discs, PlayStation has effectively blockaded their entire service from countries without an official online store.

If you haven’t heard, PlayStation is ceasing the production of physical discs for new games starting 2028. The console will become an all-digital platform. Now, we can blather on and on about how this sucks for ownership, but all gamers will still have access to games online at the very least. Right?

Wrong.

Not every country has an official PlayStation Store or the ability to create a PSN account. In fact, a staggering amount don’t; 121 countries (or 62 percent of the entire world) don’t have official access to the online storefront.

If you live in any of these countries, you’re likely familiar with some unofficial solutions: that is, setting your country elsewhere where the store exists. But, because it’s an unofficial solution, doing this is technically against PlayStation’s policies and can result in bans.

That being said, as noted by users on Reddit, this means that, on a very technical and legal level, these 121 countries will no longer be able to buy physical or digital games starting 2028. Because of a clarified policy, you can still play older games, but if you want to play the latest Call of Duty or NBA 2K, you are out of luck.

There’s no official list of affected countries, other than those collated by others manually. But if you’ve never been able to set your own country on the PlayStation Network, you’re a part of it.

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